Each fully-loaded, eight-car CTA train replaces more than 600 cars on regional roadways.

Sustainable Transportation

The CTA plays an important role in reducing vehicle emissions in the Chicago region by replacing automobile trips, reducing traffic congestion and enabling compact development. By providing high-quality transit service, we strive to make regional transportation patterns more sustainable.

Emission Reductions

The CTA replaces the equivalent of about 400,000 vehicles on regional roads each weekday. A full eight-car CTA train replaces more than 600 cars, and a full 60-foot articulated CTA bus replaces more than 70 cars.

Switching from driving to public transit can reduce an individual's carbon emissions by about 4,800 pounds per year. Household savings can be estimated using the American Public Transit Association's Carbon Savings Calculator.

Carbon dioxide emissions in the Chicago region are lowest in areas where transit service has supported higher-density development, resulting in fewer, shorter and more efficient motorized trips.

Since 2010, the CTA has been a member of the Climate Registry, which allows CTA to quantify greenhouse gas emissions to increase operational efficiency, identify greenhouse gas risks, and participate in policy discussions relevant to public

The CTA is a contributor to Sustainable Chicago 2015, the City of Chicago’s near-term sustainability action agenda designed to complement the long-term Chicago Climate Action Plan.